steam and dust particles would look really good, you could also add nasty nasty stuff floating in the water (slicks of grease and scummy bubbles, irridescent oil, bits of wood and slurry). Good if your options are limited for reflections. Hanging cobwebs and other bits would be nice to break up the rectangles through which…
can be faked by additional geo, otherwise not worth it for cost if you're feeling really naughty I suppose a render to texture would do it but that's only for one off's really, dont go throwing them around (to be avoided like the plague!!) Unlit translucencys can be lit. It's either on hourences, or UDN, but there is a way…
Couple of lighting thoughts - - Even lighting is flat and boring. Focus on an interesting light source that will create nice shadows and forms. - Create pools of light so that your scene does not look flat (again, make sure the lighting isn't even across the scene). Play with the falloff of the lights and think about how…